New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday asked the government if it has decided to reduce tariffs as claimed by US President Donald Trump and told Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take Parliament into confidence on the issue.
The opposition party also asked why the Modi government has surrendered the interests of Indian farmers and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by buckling under US pressure and reducing tariffs, which is an insult to India and its 150 crore people.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh asked whether the interests of Indian farmers and manufacturers are being compromised.
He said Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is in Washington DC to talk about trade with the Americans and Trump is making claims that India has agreed to bring down tariffs.
“What has the Modi government agreed to? Are the interests of Indian farmers and of Indian manufacturing being compromised? The PM must take Parliament into confidence when it resumes on March 10,” Ramesh said in a post on X, tagging a video of the US president speaking on trade tariffs.
Trump has said India has agreed to cut its tariffs “way down” as he reiterated his claim that the country charges the US massive tariffs that make it difficult to sell products there.
Both houses of Parliament will meet on Monday as the second part of the Budget session commences.
Congress’s media and publicity department head Pawan Khera also hit out at the BJP-led government, accusing it of failing to protect the interests of India and having buckled under US pressure even when other countries have not.
Addressing a press conference here, Khera said Goyal has gone to the US to negotiate trade and Trump is “humiliatingly” announcing that India has “agreed to reduce tariffs”.
He said it is surprising that no announcement has been made by the Centre and Indians are getting to know about their own government’s trade policy through the US president.
“Has the government of India taken a decision to cut tariffs under pressure from Prime Minister Modi’s close friend Donald Trump? Has Union minister Piyush Goyal, who is in the United States to apparently negotiate a trade deal, buckled under pressure and signed on the dotted line dictated by Howdy Modi’s close compatriot, Namaste Trump?” he asked.
“Why is this deal, if any, shrouded under a veil of secrecy? If countries like Mexico and Canada can negotiate a month’s pause on US reciprocal tariffs, why couldn’t India? India demands answers,” Khera told reporters.
“Why have you surrendered India’s national and strategic interests? What was your minister Piyush Goyal doing in the US when President Trump announced that India has agreed to reduce tariffs? Isn’t suffering reciprocal tariffs better than reducing own tariffs after reciprocal tariffs have been announced?” he asked.
“Who have you taken into confidence before taking this strategic decision? The Union Cabinet? The CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs)? Parliament? Political parties? If Mexico and Canada can pick up the phone and speak to Mr Trump, then why not you?” Khera asked.
“Has the Modi government surrendered the interests of our MSMEs to benefit select crony friends? Are the interests of crony friends more important for you than the interests of Indian farmers and manufacturing sector?” he further asked.
Targeting Modi, Khera said, “He roars like a lion in the country but when he goes outside, he becomes a lion of clay. His name is Narendra, but his work is to surrender. We cannot allow this clay tiger to tarnish India’s image.”
The Congress leader said it seems as if someone has threatened India and forced it to agree to his demands, which is deeply painful.
Referring to Modi’s recent visit to the US, he said, “In his presence, India was being threatened in the name of reciprocal tariff, but the prime minister did not say a word. He was just smiling on the surface.”
“India is being insulted in the presence of our prime minister and we are pained that he is still silent and was smiling,” he lamented.
“The Modi government’s trade policy is disastrous and if the present concession holds true, the Indian economy — our already failed Make in India, our Aatmanirbhar Bharat plan — would be further crushed by the weight of Modiji’s surrender,” Khera said.
In a post on X, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate said: “Did Trump just say that Modi cowered under pressure and is cutting tariffs to appease the US?”
Khera claimed that the biggest blow of tariff will be to the small-scale industries and MSMEs of India and they will suffer a loss of Rs 60,000 crore annually.
“The question is that when even Canada, Mexico and Nepal are not afraid of America, then what is Narendra Modi afraid of,” he said.
The Congress leader said if the government takes any retaliatory action against the US, “we will be seen standing with it”.
In the video shared by Congress leaders on X, Trump is heard saying, “Our country, from an economic standpoint and a financial standpoint and a trade standpoint, has been absolutely ripped off by almost every country in the world — Canada, Mexico and then you just go right down the line.”
“India charges us massive tariffs. You cannot even sell anything in India…. It is restrictive. We do very little business inside. They have agreed. By the way, they want to cut their tariffs way down now because somebody is finally exposing them for what they have done,” Trump goes on to say in the clip.
Trump has been threatening several countries with reciprocal trade tariffs ever since he assumed charge as the US president for a second time.
